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Public invited to participate in online questionnaire about new Ottawa Central Library location

An online questionnaire is now available for the public to help shape the criteria that will be used to evaluate potential locations for the new flagship Ottawa Central Library, the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) has announced in a news release.

The public has until June 9 (midnight) to complete the questionnaire online at www.OttawaCentralLibrary. ca. The questionnaire may also be completed using public access computers available at any of the Ottawa Public Library’s 33 branches.

The questionnaire is an opportunity for the public to rate a list of location factors that was developed with community input, technical expertise, and best practice research. This is the public’s opportunity to identify what is important to them in selecting a site for this city building initiative. The OPL board will be asked to approve the evaluation criteria and weighting at the July 12 meeting.

In a concurrent process the OPL, working with the City of Ottawa, launched a call-out to identify publicly and privately owned sites within the city’s Central Area that could be suitable for the Ottawa Central Library.

The sites identified through the call-out, which closed on May 20, will be compiled in a site inventory that will be made public after the site criteria are approved. The sites in the inventory will be evaluated and analyzed against the board approved criteria. This will result in a short listing of potential sites, which will undergo financial analysis and due diligence.

The OPL Board will make a decision before the end of the year regarding the financial framework, potential partnership with Library and Archives Canada (LAC), a project delivery method, and location. The OPL Board will recommend a best approach to Ottawa City Council.

Groundbreaking for the new Ottawa Central Library is expected in the spring of 2018 with official opening of a new iconic library in 2020.